Evaluation of wear and tribological properties of coatings rubbing against copper

A new crossed-cylinders tribo-tester is proposed. This tribo-tester can decrease the tendency of the chatter vibration. The tribological properties of coatings against copper is evaluated with this tribo-tester. The wear rate of TiN, TiC and TiCN rubbing against copper is higher than the substrate high speed tool steel: SKH51 (JIS). The catalytic action of copper for oxidation of Ti-based coatings is a main reason of this high wear rate of TiN, TiC and TiCN rubbing against copper. The wear rate of CrN rubbing against copper is in a very low level because CrN shows the excellent oxidation resistance and Cr₂O₃ film formation decreases the wear loss of CrN coating.     

Structural and tribological characterization of tungsten nitride coatings at elevated temperature

Transition metal nitrides exhibit excellent mechanical properties (hardness and Young's modulus), high melting point, good chemical stability and high electrical conductivity. However, tungsten nitrides still stand aside of the main attention. In our previous study, tungsten nitride coatings with different nitrogen content showed excellent wear resistance at room temperature. Nevertheless, many engineering applications require good tribological properties at elevated temperature. Thus, the present study is focused on the tribological behaviour (friction coefficient and wear rate) of tungsten nitride coatings at temperature up to 600 °C.

The structure, hardness, friction and wear of tungsten nitride coatings with nitrogen content in the range 30–58 at.% prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering were investigated. The tribological tests were performed on a pin-on-disc tribometer in terrestrial atmosphere with Al₂O₃ balls as sliding partner. The coating wear rate was negligible up to 200 °C exhibiting a decreasing tendency; however, the wear dramatically increased at higher temperatures. The coating peeled off after the test at 600 °C, which is connected with the oxidation of the coating.     

Friction and wear behaviour of hard and superhard coatings at cryogenic temperatures

The work presents data on friction and wear behaviour of pin-on-disc pairs with superhard diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings and hard coatings of zirconium nitride (ZrN) and titanium nitride (TiN) in liquid nitrogen with loads of 2.5 and 10 N and sliding speed of 0.06 m/s. It is shown that at cryogenic temperatures the friction coefficients of pairs of two types of DLC coatings obtained by vacuum-arc deposition of filtered high-speed carbon plasma fluxes depend to a great deal on the mechanical properties of the coatings defined by predominant sp² or sp³ hybridization of valence electrons. A friction coefficient of 0.76 was observed for friction pairs of superhard (90 GPa) DLC coatings having properties similar to those of diamond. For “softer” DLC coatings of 40 GPa and properties similar to those of graphite the friction coefficient shows lower values (0.24–0.48) dependent on normal load and counterbody material. The DLC coatings obtained by the filtered arc technology exhibit good wear resistance and have strong adhesion to the substrate under friction in liquid nitrogen. With a normal load of 10 N under cryogenic temperature a low wear rate (of the order of 7.2×10⁻⁴ nm/cycle) was found for superhard DLC coatings. The friction coefficient of pairs with hard ZrN and superhard DLC coatings on steel discs was revealed to be linearly dependent on the counterbody material hardness between 20 and 100 GPa. The hardness of the pin was varied by means of depositing TiN or DLC coatings and also by using high-hardness compounds (boron nitride and synthetic diamond). Proceeding this way can be promising since it offers the possibility of creating low-temperature junctions of required friction properties.     

High temperature friction and wear characteristics of various coating materials for steam valve spindle application

Various coatings such as chromium carbide (deposited by plasma spraying and detonation gun techniques), chromium oxide, chromium oxide+titania+silica, NiCrAlY, and Al₂O₃+NiAl, all deposited by plasma spraying; stelliting, and surface nitriding have been applied on X20CrMo V121 steel. This steel is used for high temperature applications such as steam turbine valve spindle. Friction and wear behavior of the surface coated and treated materials have been studied at an elevated temperature of 550°C while rubbing against graphite-filled stellited steel. These studies have been carried out on SRV Optimol reciprocating tribometer. Test parameters for tribological studies have been selected with a view to simulate operating conditions encountered in operation. Additionally, the structure, porosity, hardness, bond strength, and thermal cycling behaviour of these surface coated/treated materials have been characterised. Based on these laboratory investigations, chromium carbide coating deposited by plasma spraying technique has been identified as the most suitable coating for steam turbine valve spindle application. Process parameters have been established for deposition of chromium carbide coating by plasma spraying technique on actual valve spindles. The field results obtained are found to be commensurate with the laboratory findings.     

Effect of temperature on friction and wear of prehardened tool steel during sliding against 22MnB5 steel

Abstract

Mechanical components in tribological systems exposed to elevated temperatures are gaining increased attention since more and more systems are designed to operate under extreme conditions. In hot metal forming, the effect of temperature on friction and wear is especially important since it is directly related to process economy (tool wear) and quality of the produced parts (friction between tool and workpiece). This study is therefore focused on fundamental understanding pertaining to the tribological characteristics of prehardened hot work tool steel during sliding against 22MnB5 boron steel. The tribological tests were carried out using a high temperature reciprocating sliding friction and wear tester under a normal load of 31 N (corresponding to a contact pressure of 10 MPa), a sliding speed of 0·2 m s^?1 and temperatures ranging from 40°C to 800°C. It was found that friction coefficient and specific wear rate decreased at elevated temperature because of formation of compacted wear debris layers on the surfaces.     

摩擦火花瞬时高温对中高碳钢中碳的影响

选取42CrMo、60Si2Mn、GCr153种常见的中高碳钢理论分析和检测验证两方面对高速打磨过程中摩擦火花瞬时高温是否会对中高碳钢表面形成脱碳层,从而影响中高碳钢中碳含量的检测进行探讨、验证。结果表明高速打磨过程中摩擦火花瞬时高温无法达到中高碳钢表面脱碳所需的温度,并且在实际检测中标准物质11次测试结果的RSD在0.499%~0.698%,测试结果的平均值和认定值的差值均在标准样品证书的不确定度范围内。因此高速打磨过程中摩擦火花瞬时高温不会影响中高碳钢中碳含量的检测。     

Effect of carbon fiber content on the friction and wear performance of paper-based friction materials

In order to get homogeneous pores distribution of friction materials, four kinds of micron-level carbon fibers reinforced paper-based friction materials were prepared. Experimental results showed that the porosity of samples decreased with the increase of carbon fiber content. Pores formed in micrometer-level fibers reinforced friction materials were more regular than friction materials reinforced by millimeter-level fibers. The tensile strength of samples decreased with the increase of carbon fiber content. The wear rate of samples increased with the increase of carbon fiber content. The sample with 55% carbon fibers exhibited the best friction stability and anti-shudder performance under oil lubricated conditions.     

An investigation on three-body abrasive wear test at elevated temperature

A high temperature three-body abrasive wear tester has been designed and made. In order to exhibit the effect of oxidation on the wear amount of specimen and to simulate various service conditions, the oxygen content in atmosphere, the time of exposing specimen in atmosphere and the intensity of abrasion can be controlled in the tester. In the temperature range 20–900 °C, both the discriminability of wear resistances of materials and the data reproducibility of the tester are quite satisfactory. Moreover, an intermittent oxidation-abrasion test procedure has been established for investigating the interaction of oxidation and abrasion at elevated temperature. By comparing the result of test performed in argon atmosphere with that in ambient atmosphere, the respective effects of oxidation and abrasion on volume loss of specimen can be clearly distinguished.     

High temperature fretting wear behavior of WC-25Co coatings prepared by D-gun spraying on Ti-Al-Zr titanium alloy

Detonation gun (D-gun) spraying is one of the most promising spraying techniques for producing wear-resistance coatings. A thick layer (about 0.3 mm thickness) of WC-25Co with high hardness was covered on Ti-Al-Zr titanium alloy by D-gun spraying and the fretting wear behavior of WC-25Co coatings was studied experimentally on a high precision hydraulic fretting wear test rig. An experimental layout was designed to perform fretting wear tests at elevated temperatures from room temperature (25 °C) to 400 °C in ambient air. In the tests, a sphere (Si₃N₄ ceramic ball) was designed to rub against a plane (Ti-Al-Zr titanium alloy with or without WC-25Co coatings). It was found that the fretting running regimes of WC-25Co coatings were obviously different from those of Ti-Al-Zr titanium alloy. The mixed fretting regime disappeared in WC-25Co coatings, and the boundaries in the running condition fretting map (RCFM) showed hardly any change as temperature increased. The worn scars were examined using a laser confocal scanning microscope (LCSM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the coefficients of friction (COF) of WC-25Co coatings at elevated temperatures were nearly constant in the partial slip regime and very low in the steady state. The fretting damage of the coatings was very slight. In the slip regime, the WC-25Co coatings exhibited a good wear resistance, and the wear volume of the coatings obviously decreased with increasing tested temperature. The fretting wear mechanisms of WC-25Co coatings were delamination, abrasive wear and oxidation wear at elevated temperature. The oxide debris layer formed at higher temperature was denser and thicker on top of WC-25Co coatings, thus providing more surface protection against fretting wear, which played an important role in the low fretting wear of the coatings.     

Low temperature investigations on frictional behaviour and wear resistance of solid lubricant coatings

The tribological characteristics of polymer-based solid lubricant coatings under frictional stressing in vacuum at 293, 120 or 77 K were studied. Vacuum-friction apparatus with cryogenic pumps and low-temperature tribometer designed at SR&DB of ILTP&E was used for sliding tests. It was found that the coefficient of friction is somewhat higher at low than at room temperatures. The effect of temperature decrease on the wear life of solid lubricant coatings is ambiguous and determined by the direction of changes in physical and mechanical characteristics of a solid lubricant coating under cooling and by the rate of the process of a binder tribodestruction.     

Effect of temperature on the wear of an electroless nickel coating under lubricated reciprocating sliding conditions

The effect of temperature on the wear of as-deposited electroless Ni-P coating under lubricated reciprocating sliding conditions has been investigated using the ball-on-block test method. It was shown that the temperature increase from 25 to 100°C reduces the lubricated wear of EN coatings, especially at high loads. The wear mechanism has also changed as the temperature rises from 25 to 100°C. X-ray mapping and EDS analyses have shown that there are more sulfur and phosphorus on the wear track at high temperature which may be responsible for reduced friction and the wear of the coating.Yugang Liu is a graduate student and K.N. Tandon is an Associate Professor at Metallurgical Science Laboratory, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Manitoba.     

High temperature friction and wear mechanism map for tool steel and boron steel tribopair

Abstract

Tribological systems working under severe conditions like high pressures, sliding velocities and temperatures are subjected to different phenomena such as wear, oxidation and changes in mechanical properties. In many cases, there are several mechanisms occurring simultaneously. The predominating type(s) of wear mechanism(s) presented will depend on the materials in contact, operating parameters and surrounding environment. In this work, high temperature tribological studies of boron steel sliding against tool steel were conducted using a pin-on-disc machine under unlubricated conditions at five different temperatures ranging from 25 to 400°C, three different loads: 25, 50 and 75 N (contact pressures of 2, 4 and 6 MPa respectively) and a sliding speed of 0·2 ms^?1. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray techniques were used for analysing the resulting damage and tribolayers of the worn surfaces. Additionally, hardness measurements were carried out in a special hot hardness rig in the same temperature range as that used in pin-on-disc tests. The results have shown that for a given load, the wear rate of boron steel decreased as the temperature increased, reaching its lowest value at 400°C at 50 N. In the case of the tool steel, it could be observed that at 200°C and above, the wear rate decreased as the load increased. This behaviour is consistent with the formation of a protective oxidised layer initiated at 100°C. At higher temperatures, such layers become more pronounced. The obtained data were finally used to construct a friction and wear mechanism map for this material pair that takes temperature and pressure into account.     

Experimental extrapolation model for friction and wear of polymers on different testing scales

The friction and wear behaviour for polyoxymethylene homopolymers (POM-H) and polyethylene terephthalate with teflon additives (PET/PTFE) is compared on small-scale cylinder-on-plate tests (50-200 N normal loads) and large-scale flat-on-flat tests (190-3880 kN normal loads). A common parameter to characterise tribological data is the contact pressure×sliding velocity (pv-value), but its use seems restricted to a single testing scale. Four experimental models are presented to extrapolate tribological data from one to another testing scale, based on (i) one single mechanical parameter (normal load or contact pressure), (ii) two mechanical parameters (normal load and sliding velocity), (iii) the contact pressure-sliding velocity model (pv-temperature limit), (iv) macroscopic geometry model. The latter model is most extensive, considering the influences of thermal effects (frictional heat generation and dissipation), sample geometry (geometry factor G) and visco-elastic contact (critical contact pressure p₀). For unfilled polymers, the introduction of macroscopic scaling factors allows for the extrapolation of coefficients of friction obtained on different testing scales. Specific or volumetric wear rates cannot be extrapolated because they strongly depend on the sample geometry, while linear wear rates are in better agreement when considering the transitions between mild wear, softening and melting. For internally lubricated polymers, extrapolation is more difficult. The differences depending on the testing scale are attributed to contact stress concentrations near the sample borders and limited wear debris mobility within large contact areas, promoting a homogeneous film formation onto the polymer surface.     

Enhancement of adhesion strength and tribological performance of pure carbon coatings on Ti-6Al-4V biomaterials with ion implantation pre-treatments

A novel method to increase the adhesion strength of pure carbon coatings on Ti-6Al-4V biomaterials is reported. In the early stage of the experiment, ion implantation of carbon was carried out by metal vapour vacuum arc (MEVVA) in order to create a gradient composition interlayer in the Ti-6Al-4V substrate for subsequent coating depositions. The pure carbon coatings were deposited in a closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. It was found that the coatings prepared on the carbon-implanted substrates could provide a significant enhancement of adhesion strength, impact and wear resistance. The greatly increased performance could be explained by the increase in hardness of the carbon-implanted substrate and the formation of Ti–C bonds.     

The tribochemistry of silicon nitride: effects of friction, temperature and sliding velocity

In order to obtain information on the mechanisms of tribochemistry in silicon nitride, we studied the effects of chemical parameters (temperature and concentration of reagent) and tribological parameters (load and sliding speed) on the kinetics of the reaction, i.e. the rate of material removal. The temperature dependence of the wear rate of silicon nitride has been studied in several solutions. In CrO₃ and in KOH, the removal rate increases with temperature; the apparent activation energy is 20 kJ/mole in CrO₃ and 22 kJ/mole in KOH. In water, material removal is temperature independent, in KMnO₄, its rate decreases with increasing temperature. These changes are accompanied by parallel variations in the coefficient of friction. The reaction rate presents a complex dependence on the concentration of CrO₃ solutions. In water and CrO₃ solutions, we observed a strong dependence of friction and material removal rate with the load. With the changes in temperature, concentration and load, it is found that the reaction rate (in mm³/(N·m)) is linear with the coefficient of friction above a threshold value μ_th≈0.2. The velocity dependence is complicated by the phenomena of mixed lubrication. In all cases, the lack of solid wear particles and the production of ammonia have verified the tribochemical nature of the material removal. The mechanism of stimulation of the chemical reaction by friction is a quasi-static stretching of the bonds at the interface and a high local vibration energy of the atoms at the sliding contact.     

Effect of temperature on the friction and wear of heat-resistant polymer-based composites

The friction and wear of polyether sulphone (PES: ‘Victrex’-ICI), polyether etherketone (PEEK: ICI), polyamide-imide (PAI: Torlon'-Amoco) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites were measured at a constant sliding speed and under a constant load at various temperatures up to 300 °C by rubbing against a steel disc. The frictions of the composites, except for some PAI composites, were generally little dependent upon temperature over a wide range of temperature. PTFE filler was effective in reducing the wear of composites at high temperatures. However, the addition of various fibres to the composites was not effective at high temperatures. The wear of PAI composites increased rapidly with increasing temperature and thus their temperature variations were considerably greater than those of the other composites. The wear of PTFE containing ‘Econol’ E–1 OI, a polyoxybenzylene nomo-polymer (Sumitomo Chemical Co.) and graphite was similar to that of the PEEK composite containing PTFE, and their wear rates were remarkably low over a wide range of temperature. The wear-reducing mechanisms of PTFE and ‘Econol’ fillers are discussed on the basis of microscopic examinations of the frictional surfaces.     

Method for continuous detection of different friction and wear regimes and application to the behaviour of ceramics at high temperature

This paper describes tests carried out on a tribometer functioning at high temperature and equipped to record continuously the various test parameters, namely, the normal applied load, the tangential friction force, the differential movement of the contact surfaces, and the temperature of the sample. Dry friction tests, conducted on two aluminas of different purities, showed different degradation regimes at both 20 and 800°C. Thus, three successive periods of functioning were identified and correlated with transitions in the mechanism of degradation of the surfaces or in the mechanism of interfacial adaptation in the contact. The first period corresponds basically to the adaptation mechanisms of the interfaces with no wear material generated. The two subsequent periods demonstrate the degradation mechanisms of the surfaces leading to the production of more or less wear material and resulting in different states of equilibrium between production, recirculation, and loss of wear debris through the contact.     

Influence of counterbody material on wear of ta-C coatings under fretting conditions at elevated temperatures

The high temperature tribological performance of tetrahedral amorphous carbon coatings has been analyzed at elevated temperatures up to 250 °C in air against three different counterbody materials—steel 100Cr6, α-alumina and silicon nitride. The results show that the counterbody material influences the friction and wear behavior and therefore coating life time strongly. This effect is well known for these coatings at room temperature under dry environmental conditions, equivalent to conditions above 100 °C when water molecules desorb from the surface. However, the sharp difference in tribological performance between silicon nitride on the one hand and alumina and steel on the other hand cannot be understood in this context. Analyzing the friction behavior during the running-in phase, it is evident that only alumina and steel form a stable interface with constant low friction and relatively low wear rates. Silicon nitride forms an unstable interface with fluctuating COF and relatively high wear rates due to its own inherent tendency to tribo-oxidation.     

Effects of the structure and properties of ice and snow on the friction of aircraft tyres on movement area surfaces

At winter-contaminated movement areas, the interfacial materials—snow and ice—cause the major operational problem related to aircraft performance. The central issue is how to evaluate the attainable friction force between the aircraft tyre(s) and the pavement and relate that to aircraft performance. In wintertime the operational window for aircraft movements can change rapidly and so a frequent reporting service of the surface conditions is warranted. Friction is both material and system dependent. An ongoing Joint Winter Runway Friction Measurement Program (JWRFMP) addresses this issue in an international effort to produce reliable data on friction at winter-contaminated movement areas in potentially slippery conditions. The traditional approach has been to measure the friction with tribometers to generate μ, the “friction number”. The substantial question is: what are these friction numbers? JWRFMP encourage a broad multidisciplinary approach to solve this question and to provide the international aviation industry with the best information attainable. The goal is to provide an International Runway Friction Index (IRFI) that comprises the relevant information to be used for the pilot/aircraft system. This IRFI should be based upon sound basic physics and an analytic approach to understanding and to solving the tribological problems involved. In this paper the interaction of aircraft wheel(s) on travelled winter surfaces of a movement area is outlined by a tribosystem and the operational envelope for the system is described.     

Friction and wear behaviour of pyramidal nanoscaled surface features

This study reports on the friction and wear behaviour of nanoscaled pyramidal surface features of chromium nitride thin films in relation to the dimensions of those features. The pyramidal features were created, and their size controlled, by PVD based in-process structuring. Microtribological tests analysed both the evolution of wear-induced surface alterations and the correlated evolution in the coefficient of friction as functions of normal load and duration of the loading. Results indicate that the severity of wear diminishes tremendously with increasing feature size when tested at the same normal load. So, wear-induced damage similar to that seen on surfaces with small-sized features was observed for the largest surface features tested only after a 100 times longer test duration. The less severe wear of the largest pyramids leads also to friction up to 75% lower compared to surfaces with the smallest features.